In the age of conversational AI, a brand’s visibility is no longer limited to Google search results or social media mentions. Today, customers are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and other AI assistants for recommendations and those answers are shaping purchase decisions in real time.
If your brand isn’t being surfaced in these responses, you’re invisible in a rapidly growing discovery channel. This is where SerpFactor.com comes in.
SerpFactor provides an AI Brand Tracker built to monitor how your brand appears (or doesn’t appear) across the biggest AI platforms. By tracking the right prompts, you can uncover competitive gaps, benchmark your performance, and take targeted actions to improve your brand’s visibility in AI-generated answers.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
- How to effectively use SerpFactor
- The different types of prompts you should be tracking
- Do’s and Don’ts of prompt tracking
- Optimal word and character counts for prompts
- The key prompts to focus on for brand and competitor visibility analysis
1. Understanding the Role of Prompts in AI Brand Visibility
Unlike traditional SEO, where you optimize for keywords, AI visibility is driven by prompts the exact queries users type into AI models.
A “prompt” can be as short as “Best coffee brands” or as detailed as “Recommend high-end home espresso machines under $1,500 that are easy to clean”. The more your brand appears in AI-generated answers for relevant prompts, the higher your visibility and the more likely customers are to discover you.
SerpFactor tracks these prompts across AI platforms and analyzes:
- Whether your brand appears in the response
- How frequently it appears
- In what context it’s mentioned
- Which competitors appear alongside you
2. Different Types of Prompts You Should Track
A. Informational Prompts
These are general knowledge or research queries where users are seeking to learn about a category.
Examples:
- “What are the healthiest breakfast cereals?”
- “How do I choose a CRM for a small business?”
Why Track:
Informational prompts help you understand if your brand is considered an “authority” in the category. Even if the user isn’t ready to buy, being mentioned here builds brand association.
B. Transactional Prompts
These are intent-driven prompts where the user is ready to make a purchase decision.
Examples:
- “Best budget-friendly running shoes in 2025”
- “Top-rated project management software for remote teams”
Why Track:
If you’re missing from transactional prompts, you’re missing revenue. These are the most critical for direct conversion opportunities.
C. Comparative Prompts
Users explicitly compare brands or products.
Examples:
- “Notion vs Trello for team collaboration”
- “Best alternatives to HubSpot CRM”
Why Track:
These prompts reveal direct competitor mentions. If you aren’t appearing in “vs” or “alternatives” queries, you’re losing competitive positioning in AI responses.
D. Problem-Solving Prompts
Users are looking for a solution to a specific challenge.
Examples:
- “How do I reduce churn in my SaaS product?”
- “Best software for automating customer onboarding”
Why Track:
This category surfaces prompts where your product could be the solution even if the user doesn’t know your brand yet.
E. Brand-Specific Prompts
Queries that explicitly mention your brand or competitors.
Examples:
- “Is [Brand Name] reliable?”
- “Reviews of [Competitor Brand]”
Why Track:
Brand prompts measure brand reputation and sentiment in AI-generated answers. They also highlight how competitors are positioned compared to you.
3. The Do’s and Don’ts of Prompt Tracking
Tracking prompts isn’t about adding every possible variation, it’s about being strategic.
Do’s:
- Track a mix of prompt types: Balance between awareness-building (informational) and revenue-driving (transactional) prompts.
- Include competitor brand prompts: Understanding competitor visibility is as important as tracking your own.
- Update prompts quarterly: AI models evolve; what works today may not be relevant tomorrow.
- Track long-tail prompts: Niche, specific queries often have higher purchase intent and less competition.
- Geolocation: Restrict your prompts to your targeted geolocation to get accurate results.
Don’ts:
- Don’t over-track generic prompts: “Best shoes” is too broad; instead, track “Best trail running shoes for flat feet 2025.”
- Don’t ignore prompt wording variations: AI can respond differently to “Top” vs “Best” or “Recommend” vs “Suggest.”
- Don’t only track your own category: Include adjacent industries where you could capture new audiences.
- Don’t forget regional differences: Track localized prompts if you operate in multiple markets.
4. Optimal Word and Character Counts for Different Prompt Types
Prompt length impacts AI responses. Too short, and you get generic answers. Too long, and the AI may over-filter results. Here’s a tested framework:
| Prompt Type | Optimal Words | Optimal Characters | Example Prompt |
| Informational | 6–12 | 35–70 | “What are the healthiest breakfast cereals?” |
| Transactional | 8–14 | 50–85 | “Best budget-friendly running shoes in 2025” |
| Comparative | 6–10 | 35–65 | “Notion vs Trello for team collaboration” |
| Problem-Solving | 10–16 | 60–95 | “Best software for automating customer onboarding” |
| Brand-Specific | 4–8 | 20–50 | “Reviews of SerpFactor” |
5. How to Use SerpFactor to Track and Optimize Prompt Visibility
- Create Your Prompt List
Start by listing 50–100 prompts across the five categories above. Use a mix of brand, competitor, and category prompts. - Set Tracking Across Platforms
SerpFactor monitors ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity giving you a multi-platform view. Track the same prompt across all platforms for consistency. - Analyze Competitor Overlap
Identify where competitors are mentioned, but you’re not. These are your visibility gaps. - Measure Sentiment, Brand Visibility Score and Mentions
It’s not enough to appear whether your brand is mentioned positively, what is the overall brand visibility score and how many times your brand is visible in the results. - Refine Prompt Strategy Quarterly
Add new prompts based on market trends, product launches, and competitor moves. Retire underperforming ones.
6. Which Prompts You Should Focus on Most for Competitive Advantage
If you have limited tracking capacity, prioritize:
- Transactional Prompts: Direct impact on revenue; ensure you’re part of purchase decision conversations.
- Comparative Prompts: Control the narrative when customers weigh you against competitors.
- High-Intent Problem-Solving Prompts: Position your brand as the go-to solution provider.
- Competitor Brand Prompts: Identify opportunities to position yourself as a better alternative.
7. Turning Insights into Action
Once you’ve tracked and analyzed prompts with SerpFactor:
- Content Creation: Create blog posts, videos, or AI-optimized summaries to improve your mention rates.
- Partnerships: Collaborate with industry influencers so AI models have more high-quality references to your brand.
- Prompt Optimization: Adjust your product positioning to align with how people naturally ask questions.
Final Thoughts
The AI discovery landscape is still young, but it’s moving fast. Brands that actively track their AI visibility today will have a significant competitive edge tomorrow.
By using SerpFactor to monitor the right mix of prompt types, keeping prompt structures optimal, and regularly analyzing competitor visibility, you can ensure your brand isn’t just part of the AI conversation it’s leading it.
In an AI-first world, your prompt presence is your brand presence.